Scandia can probably hold onto a $200,000 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources grant while customizing its boat launch project to preserve the area’s rural character, according to the Friends of the Log House Landing.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the group presented a counterproposal to elected officials and staff of the city of Scandia and Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District. More than 50 residents attended the meeting. Also present were Washington County Commissioner Fran Miron and Washington County Public Works Director Don Theisen.
The city of Scandia and the watershed district have each committed $100,000 to the project, bringing the total to $400,000.
The original proposal would widen and pave 205th Street, adding curb and gutter. Catch basins would store rain water and snow melt along the steep road. The landing would also be paved, and a concrete boat launch would be built.
Residents of the St. Croix River neighborhood, where the landing is located, agreed that something needs to be done to stop the erosion of gravel into the river but objected to the scope of the changes proposed.
At the Sept. 3 council work session, the group presented two alternatives, one with the street paved and one retaining the gravel surface. Both proposals include a concrete boat launch. Estimated project costs are $150,000 to $200,000 for the paved road and $120,000 to $140,000 for gravel.
Both alternatives keep the current street width of 16 feet, which allows for one car at a time. Pull-outs would be added to let a second car pass.
With the street staying the same width, no trees would need to be cut down, according to the proposal. The original proposal would remove 21 trees and would affect others with soil compaction and increased exposure to sunlight.
To address city concerns that the DNR grant might be lost if the project were changed, the Friends of the Log House Landing talked to engineers from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the DNR and Washington County. Friends spokesperson Pam Plowman Smith, while applauding the city for securing the sizeable grant, said building a less expensive road would not jeopardize the funding.
“The DNR would like to see narrow roads,” she said. “Grant funds can be used for gravel roads, storm water systems, berming and vegetation along the roadside.”
A change that has good environmental reasons and strong community support is likely to be approved, she said, and the city’s 50 percent cost share is likely to stay the same.
At a previous meeting, the council was told that straying from the original design could increase the city’s liability if an accident occurred. Municipal attorney Steve Bubul, legal consultant to the Friends of the Log House Landing, said the city is protected by discretionary immunity and council members have no personal liability.
“The chances of city liability are extremely small,” he said. “The law recognizes that cities need to be able to make judgment calls.”
If a less-expensive alternative is chosen, Smith said, the city may be able to apply unused grant money to rebuilding Quinnell Avenue. Located between St. Croix Trail (Minnesota State Highway 95) and 205th Street, Quinnell is scheduled for construction in 2015.
“It could be argued that Quinnell is part of the access to the river,” Smith said. “If the price tag is way down, (the) $100,000 left could potentially be used for Quinnell.”
The city could even benefit from additional funding sources. Don Hansen, speaking for the St. Croix River Association, encouraged the city to apply for as much as $50,000 in Minnesota Pollution Control Agency funding that the river association has available to improve water quality.
Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District Administrator Jim Shaver disagreed with the conclusion that a gravel surface on 205th Street would solve the erosion problem, but he thanked the group for their proposals.
“You really did a lot of work and put together nice alternatives,” he said.
Keeping the road gravel would fit with Scandia’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan goal of preserving rural character and would save money, at least up front.
“We believe the upper section should remain aggregate,” landscape architect Shane Coen said, adding that there are maintenance costs associated with gravel roadways. “It comes down to the city: Is it worth that to preserve the rural character? It has to be graded well.”
After talking to local contractors, the Friends of the Log House Landing recommended regrading the road so that water would drain away from the stream on the south side.
Yearly maintenance would cost about $3,500, plus about every five years the silt would be removed from the drainage ditch at a cost of $2,000. Roger Peterson of Peterson Excavating, who attended the meeting, said in a letter to the council that he is confident the erosion can be controlled with a gravel surface.
Gravel does not contribute significant phosphorus to the river, according to hydrologist Chauncey Anderson.
“The phosphorus concern has been put to rest,” he said. Expanding the facility to accommodate larger boats is a bigger concern, he argued, as this is more likely to bring invasive species to the river.
Resident Kelli Carlson said that in less than two weeks, more than 300 people signed a petition in favor of scaling back the plan. Stuart Krahn, a landscape architect from Marine on St. Croix, reported usage figures for August showing an average of two vehicles on weekdays and from 12 to 19 on Saturdays.
The council did not respond to the proposal at the work session, but Council Member Sally Swanson commented that it was never members’ intention to make the access bigger.
“I’m fine with it not being wider,” she said. “I heard enough tonight: The road doesn’t have to be that wide.”
In response to a watershed district question, City Administrator Kristina Handt said the narrowest road the city would consider is 20 or 22 feet, based on the width of boat trailers.